How clean IS clean?

G

Guion Leach

New member
:icon_scratchchin: I have a Griswold large logo slant #5 that was REALLY cruddy. I oven cleaned it, Oven-Cleaner cleaned it, put it in an electrolysis bath I made as about 8-10 amps for 24 hours, then scrubbed the heck out of it with a stainless steel Chore Boy, finishing with 0000 steel wool lightly. RESULTS. I have it almost down to bare metal, but there are "filled" in areas (pitted areas?) mostly on the outside, but still seemed to be filled with the black carbon. There still might be the slightest of coated black left on, but mostly I think I am down to dull bare iron except for the "filled" in tiny spots.
Have I done all I can do? Or should I try to clean it again with Oven Cleaner and see if those pits will empty. Or does it matter? I don't know how to send a picture. I have it in the oven at 200 now to get it bone dry before the initial seasoning layer.
One source said to put bare iron in at 450 for 1 hour, then add the initial seasoning hour to it. OR should I try to clean it more first?
 
It is likely that the spots that are left are pure carbon and the lye will not remove them. More electro might, but if they are on the outside, I wouldn't worry about them unless they are raised. If more like just stains, they will blend in as new seasoning builds up and darkens over time. Placing an unseasoned pan at high heat (~500°F) for an hour or so will in most cases darken the iron somewhat, but the step is purely cosmetic and optional. Again, seasoning and use over time will darken the entire piece.
 
Thanks, Doug. I was afraid that after beginning seasoning and using the carbon in the filled in pits might cause a problem. But it is mostly on the outside, only a small bit on the inside.
 
I have cleaned a lot of pans and a significant number, even after I thought I had them as clean as I could get them, will make a paper towel black when I rub the surface. I got to ignore that and just go about using them. One or two uses and the black gets entrapped in the seasoning or just goes away. No harm eating a little carbon or iron.
 
I have found that I can keep getting color on a rag as long as I keep greasing and massaging.
Eventually, you just have to start using it.
If you are not comfortable with using it yet....slice up some less than perfect vegetables
and do a medium-high heat stir fry
until the vegetables are cooked to death.
You can throw the vegetables away
and repeat.
 
I have had my little collection soaking in a lye bath for maybe 3-4 weeks. All of my skillets were purchased from estate sales and were caked with the usual black crud, some very heavily so. The lye did a great job in removing the crud. Tonight, I washed them with Dawn and lightly scrubbed with steel wool. Every time I washed and scrubbed, more very dark water came out of them. Are they really that dirty? Old seasoning coming off? Is this normal?

Meanwhile, I have placed them back into the lye bath...
 
I find the same thing; black keeps coming off on a paper towel. I don't even bother to do anything other than to start using the pan. It's the nature of the beast I would say. Trying to be too clean may lead to health problems sometime in your life.
 
On a whim, I placed an extremely cruddy skillet on my gas range and brought some plain water to a rolling boil for a few minutes. The water had turned a light brown color and some of the thick black crud fell off.

Is this an acceptable practice to help clean the CI?
 
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